


How To Kiss A Trohman In Seven Days

by BangTheDoldrums21



Category: Fall Out Boy
Genre: F/M, FOB, Joe Trohman - Freeform, fall out boy - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-21
Updated: 2015-09-21
Packaged: 2018-04-22 19:48:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4848185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BangTheDoldrums21/pseuds/BangTheDoldrums21
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Simple as the title - How To Kiss A Trohman In Seven Days.<br/>If you follow these seven steps one by one, then you will have successfully kissed a Trohman in seven days.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Step One: Be Flirty

Key Points: always smile, compliment him when the chance is given (but don't go overboard), and be a master of the "accidental touches" .

Dahlia and Joe have been the best of friends since they were in diapers. They always did everything together. There was literally no separating them, even though many people have tried over the years. All in all, the two of them always found their way back to one another, even in their college years, which wasn't hard, since they went to the same college; they were just a few hallways away from one another. But lately something has changed and it isn't hard to define:

Dahlia is in love with Joe.

She has been for quite some time now, but she wouldn't dare tell Joe, for the fear of being rejected. And since the two of them are room mates, that would be incredibly awkward; get up every morning, say an awkward "hello", then move on with their daily routines. Dahlia didn't want that awkwardness to ruin what they've had for all these countless years, so she kept to herself. Or so she thought ...

You see, Pete was sneaky. Sneaky and smart. Which was a plus in his book, but not always in everyone else's. Yeah, he could be helpful, but sometimes (not all the time, because in a lot of cases, he did a lot of good for people), what he saw helpful, others didn't. But Dahlia was never like that. She always appreciated Pete and his little shenanigans, whether they were for her or not.

And that's where we find Dahlia now: spilling her guts out to Pete about Joe.

"No! You don't get it! He's freaking perfect, Pete!" Dahlia says.

"To you," Pete jokes.

"Ugh, why do I even bother with you?" she asks, genuinely confused as to why she bothers talking to Pete sometimes.

"Because you love me," he teases.

"I don't exactly have a choice," she rolls her eyes. "but seriously, what am I supposed to do?"

"Take your time," Pete says.

"Thank you captain obvious," Dahlia says.

"Hey, if you're going to be all smart on me, you can forget me helping," Pete says, starting to get up from the couch.

"No!" Dahlia shouts, practically dragging him back onto the couch. "I'll be good, I swear."

"You sound like a five year old. Now anyway, here's what you need to do," Pete starts. "You've got to be subtle, but you need to flirt with him, ok? Flirting is all about showing him that you're interested in him, whether he knows it already or not. If you feel nervous about it, just do it anyway. Put yourself out there! And remember, smile. Smiling is a good thing, and we all know you have a killer smile - not as good as mine of course. If you want to be a little shit, look at him from a little bit away, lock eyes, then smile, and look away. It may seem weird, but do it. Also, be a fucking master of 'accidental touching'. If you two are sitting on the couch and watching your weird superhero cartoon or whatever, 'accidentally' brush your hand over his when you're reaching for something, or when you're walking to go do something, pretend you don't see him and bump into him. It may seem stupid, but fucking do it, Dahl. And last, but certainly not least, compliment him when you can. Don't like go into compliment overdrive because you'll creep him out, but do little things, like compliment him on his clothes, his cooking, anything. That's your first step."

"Can you like write that all down and send it to me?" Dahlia asks.

"Did you hear a fucking word I just said?" Pete asks, getting annoyed.

"Yes, I did. Don't get your fucking panties in a twist," Dahlia plopped back onto the couch.

"How'd you know I wear panties?" he asks.

After arguing with one another for at least another hour, Dahlia went back to hers and Joe's apartment., where she found Joe upside down on the couch, talking to one of his friends on the phone. Dahlia swears he's a teenage girl at heart. She simply laughed at him, making sure she flaunted that smile of hers, then trotted off into the kitchen. Soon after, Joe skipped into the kitchen, blocking Dahlia's view of the cabinets, where she needed to get.

"Hey fucker," she says, crossing her arms.

"Hi," Joe smiles.

"Can I help you?" she asks.

"Whatcha makinggg?" he asks, getting into Dahlia's personal space.

"Food," she says, gently pushing him back Does that count as 'accidental touching'? Probably not ...

"Well. no shit, sherlock," he smirks. "Define 'food'."

"Food as in Mac n Cheese," she smiles again.

"Make me some, pleaseee?" he whines. Honestly, how can she say no to that face?

"Fine," she rolls her eyes.

"Thank youuu!" Joe runs off back into the living room.

A short twenty minutes later, the food's ready and Dahlia pours it into two bowls: one for her and one for Joe. She decided she's going to bring Joe's bowl to him, that way she can take her opportunity to become a master of the 'accidental touching'. Dahlia grabs his bowl and meanders her way into the living room, where Joe is sprawled out on the couch, half on half off. She laughs to herself, then holds the bowl out in front of him. He instantly perks up and grabs the bowl from her, thanking her in the process. She smiles again, then walks back to the kitchen to get her bowl. When she comes back, Joe's sprawled out on the couch again, carefully scooping spoonful after spoonful of Mac n Cheese into his mouth like a four year old. She sighs, then puts her bowl on the coffee table.

"Move," she says.

"But I'm comfortable," he retorts.

"I need to sit somewhere," she says.

"Then sit on the floor," he says.

"You know what that does to my back," Dahlia says.

"Then I guess you're moving me yourself," Joe says, setting his bowl on the floor and crossing his arms across his chest.

Dahlia sighs, not really caring because this was something they did often. She cracks her knuckles, then practically jumps on Joe, who grunts when he gets a knee in a not-so-good spot, but that wasn't enough to stop him from keeping his spot on the couch. Dahlia eventually had Joe in a headlock, nearly choking on his abundance of hair.

"You're an ass!" Joe shouts as he gets thrown onto the floor.

"I try," Dahlia smiles, quickly grabbing her bowl and taking her seat on the couch.

That's totally "accidental touching", right? Right.


	2. HTKATISD - Chapter Two

Step Two: Use Texts, Phone Calls, and Chatting to your Advantage

Key Points: Learn to 'spark' a conversation up by talking about new things, end the conversation early (don't talk for too long and make things awkward), and set up another time to chat together (optional). **Even face to face contact is a plus!**

Today's a new day! Dahlia is definitely on her a-game today. She woke up, took a shower, got dressed, brushed her teeth, did her hair, and finished with her makeup. She thought she looked pretty good in her eyes. When she went downstairs, Joe even seemed to notice a little, so she flaunted her smile again. After breakfast, she told Joe she was going out with some friends, which was kind of true ... If you count Pete as "going out" and as a "friend". Although, to make Joe feel better (he always hated being alone at the apartment because he got bored), she promised to text him later, and he instantly perked up and smiled. She couldn't help but laugh.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Petey!" Dahlia says as Pete opens the door to his house.

"Call me Petey one more time and you're not stepping inside this house," Pete says. "Ever."

"Love you," she playfully pokes him.

Pete laughs a little, then pulls her into the house, where Patrick and Andy are happily sitting on the couch, to Dahlia's surprise. She brushes it off. They're practically like brothers to her, so she doesn't really mind if they know what's up - which they probably do because Pete's a little shit. She's sure that they must know because when she sits down between them, they start to smirk at her, making her turn her gaze to Pete, who smiles like a little boy that just got in trouble for breaking an expensive vase on the table.

"Did you tell them?" she asks.

"Is that even a question?" Pete smirks again.

"Dahl's crushing on Joe 'the fro' Trohman, huh?" Andy pokes Dahlia's arms.

"Shut up!" she says, sounding like a teenage girl.

"And a little birdie said you want to kiss him," Patrick jokes.

"Pete, why are we even friends?" Dahlia asks.

"Do you want to know the next step or not?" Pete asks, a smile creeping onto his face.

"Fine," she sighs. "tell me."

"First off, you told him you'd text him later, right?" Pete asks.

"Yeah, and he got all happy and smiley," she smirks, trying to hide the blush rising to her cheeks, but failing miserably.

"Good. Now, when you text him, don't start off with the typical 'hey, how's it going?' type of thing; you want to make it different and new. Whatever you say, you want to make sure it's something that draws him back so he'll text you again. Start off by telling him what you're doing, ask him if he's busy, something like that. Just don't let the conversation drag out and get awkward. If that happens, he isn't going to want to text as much. And if you want to make things extra 'cool', bring up an inside joke the two of you have," Pete explains.

"The relationship master has spoken!" Andy says, making Dahlia and Patrick laugh, and Pete sit there being satified with himself.

The four of them waited for what seemed like hours, which in all reality, was only about and hour and a half. During that time, Pete had ordered pizza for all of them - shocker, right? But they happily ate it and then Pete said it was time to text Joe now. Dahlia smiled and grabbed her phone from her purse. Pete told her to text him, saying what she was doing, so she texted him: "Hey, just hanging with the girls at the regular place".

"He replied!" Dahlia says after a few more minutes.

"Awesome, what'd he say?" Pete asks.

"He said 'that's cool :) I hope you're having a good time'," Dahlia read.

"Ok, reply back by saying 'I am, thanks :)'," Pete says.

"Dude, that sounds kinda bitchy," Dahlia bites her lip. "I don't wanna sound like that."

"Just do it," Pete smirks again.

"Fine," Dahlia rolls her eyes, then sends the text and waits a few minutes. "He replied."

"What'd he say this time?" Patrick asks this time.

"He said 'I'm glad :)'," she read again.

"Awesome. Ask him if he's busy later," Pete says.

"Alright," Dahlia says, typing words out on her phone. "Are you busy later?"

Soon after, Joe replies back and says that he isn't busy, which didn't really surprise any of them. In fact, they even laughed a little, knowing that Joe doesn't really have a life outside of the band. Pete tells Dahlia to ask Joe to meet her at the pizza place on the corner of Taylor St. and 4th Ave. She smiles and does so, soon getting a reply saying that he'll be there at five, which is in a half hour.

After successfully getting Joe to agree to go out for supper, the two of them stopped talking, and frankly, Dahlia thought she kept it pretty short - just as Pete said. Dahlia spent the next twenty minutes getting lecture after lecture from Pete, which told her what to say, to do, and what not to do and say. Truthfully, she kind of blocked him out after the first five minutes and put a headphone in her ear. When Pete asked, she insisted she was still listening to what he was saying, which was obviously a lie.

Luckily, her twenty minutes were now up, so she rushed out of the house, only waving as she hopped into the vehicle. It only took five minutes to get to the pizza place, so she'd be early, which she didn't know if that was good or not. But either way, she knew she'd still be there before Joe; he was always late to everything. As she pulled into the parking lot, she hopped out, then stopped when she felt her phone vibrate.

"Good luck, champ! And don't be too eager!" she silently read a text from Pete, rolling her eyes afterwards.

She put her phone back in her pocket, then continued walking into the building. To her surprise, Joe was already there, and he had her favorite booth saved. She smiled at Joe as he looked up. A smile crept onto his face as he stood up and hugged her, making Dahlia smile again.

"I see you got my favorite booth," she says, sitting down.

"Only the best for my bestie," Joe smirks, making her laugh.

The two of them talk over pizza for at least an hour - maybe longer. Afterwards, they leave, and honestly, Dahlia feels like it went really well. There was a lot of laughing, joking around, and they even threw around their inside jokes, like "cup o baby". She feels pretty satisfied with herself, and really, if Joe can't see that Dahl's interested in him, then his fro is fucking with his mentality.

Either it's the fro, or he's not interested... Shit.

*AN- ok, this last half (and probably the whole thing honestly) is really bad. There's a lot on my mind lately, so apologies<3


	3. HTKATISD - Chapter Three

Step Three: Look the Part

Key Points: Smell amazing (use your favorite perfume, or use a perfume you know he likes)! Boys are more attracted to girls who smell good! Rock the lips your mama gave ya! Use chapstick to get rid of the chapped lips, and for a splash of attitude and color, use lipstick! Don't use stickey lip glosses! Lastly, pay attention to you hair! Yes, boys may not know all the technics to hairstyles, but they will notice if it looks good or bad. **Do not get a total makeover!**

One again, today is a new day, and Dahlia is having high hopes about today. She got up right on time and walked into her closet. She stood there, hands on her hips, for a few minutes, trying to find something that would suit her, but also get Joe's attention. She turned her head and her black, polka-dotted short dress caught her eye. She remembered Joe commented her on it more than once, so she snatched it off the hanger and rushed into the bathroom.

Dahlia quickly stripped herself of her clothes, then slipped the dress on. She twirled around in it, smiling as she did so, then she focused on her makeup. She did her usual winged eye liner, adding a little mascara after to really show off her eye lashes. She was never one for lipstick, so she just used a colored Chapstick she had. Afterwards, she looked through her perfume and found the one she knew Joe liked - cucumber melon.

Now, it was time to tackle her hair. It was still in a messy bun from last night, and really, it didn't look all that bad. She pulled out a bandana from her drawer - one that matched her dress - and tied it around her head - pinup girl style. She grabbed her bangs and made a little poof with them at the base of her forehead, securing it with bobby pins. She made sure her hair looked great, fixing any last details, then she looked at herself in the mirror. She didn't think she was over dress nor under dressed. She knew she'd surely get questioned by Joe, but she was already coming up with answers for them.

She cleaned up the bathroom a little bit, then walked downstairs. She wasn't surprised when she didn't see Joe downstairs; the guy was never an early riser. She chuckled to herself, then meandered into the kitchen. She started on breakfast for both her and Joe. A simple egg and toast breakfast would do.

As she buttered the last piece of toast, Joe came down the stairs, still rubbing his eyes. At least he was decent enough to put on a shirt today.

"Mornin'," Dahlia chuckled, pushing a plate towards Joe, who sat down at the half-wall.

"Smells good," Joe returned the chuckle.

"Thought I'd cook breakfast for once," she said.

"Well, I appreciate it," he smiled, digging in to his eggs.

The two of then talked over their breakfast, and afterwards, Joe so politely volunteered to help Dahlia clean up. She said thank you, then they started cleaning. Within just a few minutes, the dishes were in the dishwasher, the counters were wiped down, and the butter and other things were put away. Afterwards, Joe said he was going to get changed. Dahlia said alright, then went and sat on the couch, grabbing her phone from her bra.

"Hey!" Joe shouted from upstairs.

"Sup?" Dahlia asked, taking her attention away from her phone.

"Do you wanna go out later?" Joe asked, walking down the stairs.

"Like, where?" Dahlia couldn't help but allow a smile to appear on her face.

"I don't know, maybe a movie and dinner or something?" Joe smiled, noticing the smile on Dahl's face.

"Sure, I'd like that," she smiled once more.

"Awesome," Joe said, heading back to the stairs. "and by the way, you look really pretty today."

"Thanks," Dahlia laughed, looking back to her phone.

Well, naturally, she had to text Pete to let him know how far she'd come. Pete was incredibly happy to hear that Joe had finally asked her out. Sure, the two of them had gone out before, but it was always with other people. It was never just the two of them - alone. Dahlia just smiled at the thought of the two of them being alone for once, just having a good time. She was excited, to say the least.

\--------------------------

"You ready?" Joe asked Dahlia hours later.

"Yeah," Dahlia smiled, reaching for her purse.

"No," Joe said, grabbing her purse and putting it back on the table. "I've got tonight."

"If you insist," Dahlia said.

"I do, now let's go," he smiled, taking Dahl's arm in his and walking out the door.

The two of them hopped into the vehicle and soon started towards the movie theater. Once they got there, they looked at the movies playing, and eventually decided on seeing A Haunted House 2. They got their tickets, then a medium popcorn to share, along with two waters. They made their way to the theater, then took their seats. One thing they both had in common was that they both liked to sit in the back of the theater. So, that's where they sat: the back, right corner.

Within minutes of sitting down and starting on their popcorn, the movie started. Within the first five minutes, the two of them were already practically crying with laughter. And, about halfway through the movie, Joe pulled the typical guy move - he 'stretched' then put his arm around Dahlia. She wanted to laugh, but she didn't. She didn't want to ruin how far her and Joe had come so far, so she just simply snuggled closer to Joe.

Once the movie ended, the two of them walked out of the theater, throwing their unfinished popcorn and water bottles away. They walked out to their vehicle, then hopped in.

"So, where do you wanna go for dinner?" Joe asked, starting the vehicle.

"Doesn't matter to me," Dahlia shrugged.

"Well, there's that new Italian place downtown, Olive Garden, Rail House, and the fancy pizza place," Joe three out a few restaurants.

"Hmm, how about Olive Garden?" Dahlia asked.

"That's what I was thinking," Joe smiled, pulling into the road.

Just a few minutes later, the two of them arrived at the restaurant. They got out of the vehicle, then walked inside. A waiter greeted them, asking if they'd like a table for two. Joe and Dahl agreed, then followed the man to a table in the corner by big picture windows, giving a great view of the city. The waiter asked the two of them what they'd like to drink, and they both just for water again. The waiter said he'd be right back, then Joe and Dahl looked over their menus.

"Whatcha thinking you're gonna get?" Joe asked.

"Kind of thinking about getting Alfredo," Dahlia chuckled.

"Me too, actually," Joe laughed.

Okay, they've got pasta in common. That's good, right? Right. A few minutes later, their waiter came back with their waters, then took their orders, along with their menus afterwards. After the waiter left, Joe and Dahlia just sat there, looking out the big window. That is, until Joe broke the silence.

"So, did I say that you look like really pretty tonight?" he asked.

"It might have slipped out," Dahl laughed. "but thanks. I appreciate it," she smiled. "You don't look so bad yourself."

"Well, I did wear my best beanie for you," Joe smirked.

"So snazzy," Dahlia laughed again. "So, how'd you like the movie?"

"Hilarious," Joe smiled. "You?"

"Same. Funniest movie I've seen in a long time," she said. "and my favorite part was when you pulled the fake stretch thing."

"Kickin' it old school, girl," Joe laughed, taking a sip of his water.

Dahlia laughed as the two of them continued talking. Even after their food came, they still kept talking, barely eating their food. Once things did calm down, though, the silence between them wasn't awkward, and for once, Dahlia felt like she was really connecting with Joe. She felt like they had something special.

Around nine pm, the two of them left the restaurant, stomachs full and smiles on their faces. They got back into the car and drove home. Once they walked into the house, they both collapsed on the couch, laughing at one another because they had done it in unison.

"I had fun tonight," Joe said.

"I did too," Dahlia smiled.

Joe just smiled back, then pulled Dahl into his arms. He turned the tv on, then the two of them laid there, Dahlia in Joe's arms while he lazily played with her hair.

Dahlia was definitely proud of tonight.


	4. HTKATISD - Chapter Four

Step Four: Officially Break the "Touch Barrier"

Key Points: Sit closer to him. If you're sitting together on a couch or in a car, move in closer than you need to. If he seems to like it, you're on the right track. Try holding his hand. If you see a good opening for slipping your hand into his, take it! Or, make your hand look available for holding by avoiding folding your arms or twiddling your thumbs. Go in for a hug. This works best when you're leaving or parting. Lean in for a hug, putting your arms around his neck or shoulders, and hold it for two or three seconds before pulling away. That should seem long enough to feel intimate, but not so long that the hug gets awkward. Don't be too obsessive or possessive!

Day four. Dahlia knows today is an important day. She's stayed up almost all night talking to Pete on what should be accomplished today. He told her that, even though she's already become a master of "accidental touching," she's got to make more less-subtle moves on Joe. Dahlia has filled at least five pages worth of notes from her and Pete's conversation last night, and it's now around ten in the morning and she's brushing over them again, just for one last refresher before she heads downstairs to start the day.

"Dahl!" Joe's voice comes through the door to her bedroom.

She scrambles, quickly closing her notebook and shoving it into her dresser drawer. Just as she jumps back onto her bed, sending her phone flying into the wall, Joe comes through the doorway. He gives her a weird look, then picks her phone off the floor.

"Looks like you got away lucky this time, not even a dent in it," Joe says, handing Dahl her phone.

"Thanks," she chuckles nervously.

"Anyway, what the hell are you doing up here? Sounded like a herd of bulls were running through here just now," Joe chuckles.

"Oh, um, nothing," Dahlia lies. "I was just, uh, cleaning up a little!"

"Oh, well, I'm hungry, so want to come help me make breakfast?" Joe asks.

"Joe, hun, you're always hungry," Dahlia laughs.

"This is incredibly true, now let's go," Joe says, starting to walk away.

Dahlia sees the perfect opportunity to get away with the less-subtle touching. She sits on her knees on her bed, then holds her arms out. Joe looks back, realizing that she's not following him. Once he sees her sitting there with her arms out, he let's out a laugh, then walks back over to Dahl, who's smiling and biting her lip. Joe tells her to climb onto his back for a piggyback ride. She's laughing all while she's trying to get the right position on Joe's back, and once they're both in a comfortable position, Dahlia throws her arms around Joe's neck, telling Joe to hold onto her hands with his. That's technically holding hands, right? Right.

"Dahl, there are stairs," Joe says. "We didn't think this through."

"Okay, then carry me bridal style," Dahlia jokes, not thinking Joe would actually take her seriously.

Joe puts her down, and without warning, picks her up in his arms, giving her a small smile as he starts down the stairs. They make it into the kitchen, where Joe gently sets Dahlia on a stool. He gets started on breakfast, making Dahlia question if she was supposed to help him. He said he changed his mind, that he was going to treat Dahl to breakfast today.

"And," Joe says a few minutes later as he puts a plate in front of Dahlia. "breakfast is served."

"Why thank you," Dahlia smiles, digging into her eggs and toast.

Joe sits down next to her and digs into his food as well. They make small talk, like any usual time they eat together, but this time, Dahlia reaches over and rests her hand on Joe's knee or his hand. Joe seems to not think anything of it, and that makes Dahlia ten times more hopeful in ending this week with a kiss.

"Hey, earth to Dahl," Joe waves his hand in front of Dahlia's face.

"Oh, sorry," Dahlia chuckles, setting her fork down on her now empty plate.

"You okay?" Joe asks.

"Yeah, I was just thinking about something," Dahlia smiles, getting up from her stool and putting hers and Joe's plates in the sink.

"What about?" Joe asks, walking over to her.

"Um, just about what to do today," she says. Nice save...?

"Hm, well, what do you want to do today?" Joe asks.

"Want to just stay in and watch movies all day? I got Netflix!" Dahlia smiles.

"Sounds good to me!" Joe laughs.

"Awesome, you go get comfortable and I'll go grab my laptop from my room," Dahlia says, brushing against Joe's hand.

Joe smiles at her, then they go their separate ways. As Dahl makes her way up the stairs, she knows she's going to call Pete and tell him what's happened. She barges into her room and sits on her bed, grabbing her phone and calling Pete.

"How's the day going so far, Mrs. Trohman?"

"Fuck you, Wentz," Dahlia laughs. "Anyway, not bad, actually. And, to hopefully use these 'touching' skills to their fullest extent today, Joe and I are staying in and watching movies all day."

"Are you going to try to cuddle with him?!" Pete asks.

"Cuddle? Never thought I'd hear you use that word," Dahlia pokes fun at Pete.

"Shut up. Anyway, are you?" Pete asks.

"If you think it's a good idea...?" Dahlia says, almost in a question.

"Yes! Take advantage of him when he's most vulnerable!" Pete says, making Dahlia laugh.

"To a point, I will. If I do that the other way, I'd feel terrible," Dahlia says.

"Okay, you know what I mean. Take advantage of him in a good way, not in a sexual way," Pete says. "Get your mind outta the clouds, Dahl."

"Whatever, I'll let you know how everything goes later," Dahlia says, then hangs up.

She grabs her laptop from her dresser, then rushes back downstairs. She's thankful that Joe doesn't ask what took her so long, so she just hooks her laptop up to the tv and pulls Netflix up.

"Whatcha wanna watch?" Dahlia asks.

"Um, are there any horror movie spoofs?" Joe asks, resting his head on his hand.

"Uh, A Haunted House Two, all the Scary Movie ones, um," Dahlia says as she scrolls through the categories.

"What about A Haunted House Two?" Joe asks, smiling at Dahlia a little.

Dahl can't ignore Joe's perfect smile, so she clicks on the movie and sits down. She sits closer to Joe than usual, but all Joe does is smile at her again, then turns his attention back to the movie.

As the movie starts, they're both glued to the tv, already laughing harder than they should most likely be. As the movie goes on, Dahlia gets closer to Joe, being subtle about it. She yawns a few times, then stretches. She knows she can just lay on Joe and he wouldn't think much of it anyway, since she's done it before, but she just wants this all to go according to plan.

She yawns once more, then lays down, resting her head on Joe's side, her arm in his thigh, and her legs intertwined with his feet. Joe looks down and smiles at her, pulling her a little closer. She can't help but smile to herself and she hides her face in Joe's side.

As the movie ends, she drags herself off of Joe to go switch to a different movie, which she doesn't really want to do. She could stay cuddling with Joe all day, but someone has to switch the movies. This time, they decide to watch the first A Haunted House, which didn't really make sense, but they'd still get the gist of what happened.

As the movie starts, Dahlia takes her place back on the couch, laying by Joe. Joe is now spread out on the couch too, but there's just enough room for Dahl to lay in front of him. So, that's what she does. She crawls onto the couch and Joe puts his arms around her. She gets comfortable against his taller figure, then they cuddle and resume watching their movie.

As the movie goes on, Dahlia gets tired, and eventually falls asleep in Joe arms.

\---------------

As she wakes up, she looks behind her and sees that Joe fell asleep too. She carefully gets up from the couch and makes her way upstairs. It's around three in the afternoon, so she figures if she calls Pete, she won't interrupt him. She grabs her phone again and calls Pete's phone.

"How'd things go?" Pete answers.

"Well, I successfully cuddled with him, and he actually pulled me closer!" Dahlia says, not being able to help herself from hiding her face in her other hand.

"He did? Dahl, that's awesome!" Pete says, making her chuckle.

"Yeah, then I fell asleep in his arms, and when I woke up just now," she yawns. "Sorry," she chuckles. "He fell asleep too."

"That's actually adorable," Pete says. "Day four and look how far you've come. Just a few more days until that kiss."

"Do you think I can pull it off?" Dahlia asks, becoming skeptical again.

"Dude, if you've come this far in only four days, you'll be fucking him at the end of this week."

"Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz III!" Dahlia shouts. "I'm going now!"

She hangs up the phone and walks back downstairs. She sees Joe is sitting up on the couch, stretching his arms.

"You left me," Joe chuckles as he gets up and walks over to Dahlia, who's pouring herself a glass of water.

"Sorry," she chuckles.

"I got lonely," Joe says, laying his head on her shoulder as she tries to take a drink.

"Do you mind?" Dahl jokes, putting her glass down.

"I wouldn't mind watching movies again," Joe says.

"You fell asleep," Dahl laughs again.

"You fell asleep first!" Joe defends himself. "Whatever, grab your laptop and let's head upstairs. The couch gets uncomfortable, and I'm pretty sure my whole right side went numb. So, this is just me, but my bed is ten times more comfortable and there'll actually be room to move."

"Sounds good," Dahlia says, running and grabbing her laptop from the entertainment center.

Both her and Joe run up the stairs and into Joe's room. Joe makes himself comfortable underneath the sheets and moves his pillows. Dahl gets everything hooked up again and clicks on a random scary movie parody. She crawls into bed and makes herself comfortable as the movie starts.

"Oh," Joe says.

"What?" Dahlia asks. "Don't like the movie choice?"

"No, we're not gonna cuddle anymore?" Joe asks, jutting out his lower lip.

"Don't you dare pull the puppy dog face with me, mister," Dahlia says, trying not to smile.

"I know you can't resist it!" Joe smirks.

Dahlia groans, then moves herself closer to Joe, who has his arms wide open. They get comfortable and Joe pulls her closer to him, wrapping his arms around her.

Dahlia could definitely get used to this.


	5. HTKATISD - Chapter Five

Step Five: Make it easy for him to get you alone.

Key Points: Boys often complain that girls move in packs so much that it's difficult to get one-on-one time, so make it easy for him! Hang back from the crowd, or go outside to grab some fresh air. If you really want to make sure you're alone, you could always ask him out on a solo date.

**If you're trying to get him alone, find opportunities to pull away from the crowd.

Dahlia wakes up on day five still in Joe's arms, laying in Joe's bed. As she sits up, she sees her laptop it still hooked up to the tv, but everything is shut off. She stretches her arms and yawns, being sure not to disturb a sleeping Joe still next to her. She gets up and walks to her bathroom. After she throws her hair up in a ponytail, she grabs her phone and calls Pete.

"How'd yesterday go?" Pete answers.

"We slept together," Dahlia says, instantly realizing that Pete would totally take that the wrong way.

"Dahl! I said the end of the week, not day four!" Pete freaks out, making Dahlia literally face-palm herself. "Was it at least fun?"

"Pete! I meant that we slept together in his bed after watching movies, not sex!" Dahlia says, laughing. "And I'm the one who's got to get their head out of the clouds, huh?" she scoffs.

"Whatever, anyway, it's day five. Wanna know what to do?"

"Yeah, just let me get my notebook," Dahlia says, running out of the bathroom - and into Joe. "Oh, fuck!" she shouts.

"What?" she hears Pete's voice come through the phone, which is down by her side.

"Whoa!" Joe laughs, still a little groggy from sleeping. "Who ya talkin' to?"

"Pete," Dahlia laughs, moving passed Joe and towards he room.

"You've been talking to him an awful lot lately ... Dahl got the hots for Petey?" Joe asks, winking at her.

"No!" Dahlia practically shouts, then grumbles to herself as she walks into her room and closes her door.

She sits on her bed, pulls her notebook out from her dresser, then opens it up to a blank page. She picks her phone back up, hoping Pete is still there.

"Way to go, asshole, now Joe thinks I've got the hots for you," Dahlia rolls her eyes, even though Pete can't see her.

"Hey, my personality is flawless," Pete says on the other end. "It's irresistible."

"Okay, just tell me what to do today," Dahlia says, pulling the cap off of her pen.

Pete chuckles, then tell her everything she's got to accomplish today. He starts off by telling her to get together with a few of her friends later on today and make Joe feel lonely. Dahlia yells at him, saying that's mean, but Pete tells her that it'll all turn out. She agrees, then Pete continues, saying that once she's out on the town, text Joe and ask how he's doing. He'll most likely say he's lonely and that he wishes Dahl was back home. After that, Pete tells her to invite him out with her and the girls for drinks, which he'll eventually agree too. After a while, Pete says to make herself more talkative towards him, not her friends, so they've got the special one-on-one time together.

"Okay, you're sure this'll all work? Are you sure he'll want to go out with the girls and I?" Dahlia asks.

"It's fool-proof," Pete says. "I'm sure he'll want to. We all know Joe gets lonely."

"True," Dahlia laughs. "Okay, so I'll text the girls and then go get ready. Thanks, Pete!"

Dahl hangs up the phone, then texts the girls, asking them if they want to go out later on for supper at their usual hangout place. One by one, they text back, agreeing to meet up at five. Dahlia smiles, then grabs one of her best outfits - one that she knows Joe loves.

\------------

As five rolls around, Dahlia heads downstairs, finding Joe sprawled out on the couch, flipping through tv channels. She chuckles at him, then reaches for her purse on the dining room table.

"Where're you goin'?" Joe asks, sitting up.

"Out," Dahl says. "with the girls. Grabbing a little supper, then we might go out for drinks or something."

"Oh," Joe says, laying back down on the couch. "Have fun."

"I'll be sure to text you," Dahl smiles, making Joe smile as well.

Dahlia waves goodbye to Joe, then heads out the door and hops into her vehicle. She arrives at the restaurant a few minutes later, then walks inside and sees Sarah, Elisa, and Meagan all waiting for her at their favorite booth. They smile when they see her, then wave her over.

"Hey, Dahl!" Elisa smiles, moving over so she can sit down.

"Hey, guys!" Dahlia smiles, setting her purse down by her feet.

"What made you want to meet up?" Meagan asks, taking a sip of her Coke.

"Full story?" Dahlia asks.

The girls nod, so Dahlia begins telling them the whole story, starting from day one. She tells them everything Pete's told her to do, which made the girls laugh, because it totally didn't surprise them. She finishes by telling them that today is day five, and that she's got to make herself available to Joe.

"Joe and Dahl, huh?" Sarah smirks.

"It's cute, right?" Meagan turns to her.

"Totally cute! You guys would be adorable together!" Elisa says.

"You guys!" Dahlia says, hiding her face in her hands. "Anyway, can we just order and get tonight over with?"

The girls laugh at her, then flag their waiter down. They order their food, talk more about this whole ten-day kissing plan, then decide to leave and go to their favorite club. They pay the bill, grab their things, then head to the club on 8th Ave. As they walk in, the booming of the music makes them smile. They take their usual spots at the bar, order a drink or two, then Dahl pulls her phone out.

"Hey, whatcha doing?" Dahlia texts Joe.

"Hey! And nothing, just sitting where you left me," Joe replies.

"Want to hang out with all of us?" Dahl asks.

"I don't wanna crash the girls' night," Joe says.

"You won't be, trust me," Dahl says.

"Alright, where are you guys?" Joe asks.

"Yay! And we're at the club on 8th Ave, sitting at the bar," Dahlia replies.

"Awesome, see you in fifteen minutes," Joe replies.

Dahlia puts her phone away with a smile on her face, then takes a sip of her margarita. Meagan turns to her and smiles at her, putting her drink down.

"Joe coming?" she asks.

"Yup, should be here soon," Dahlia smiles.

"You guys are totally cute," Meagan says.

"MJ, shut up!" Dahlia laughs as she hides her face in her hands again. "Wanna go dance?"

Meagan agrees, then her and Dahl grab Elisa and Sarah from their seats and they make their way to the dance floor, making sure to stay close to the doors so Dahlia can see when Joe comes in. They dance for a good ten minutes before Dahl's eyes meet Joe's as he walks inside the club. He pushes through people and then stands by Dahl.

"You made it!" Dahl smiles, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"I said I'd come, didn't I?" Joe smirked. "I'm gonna go get a drink!"

Dahlia follows Joe back to the bar and sits where she was sitting before. Meagan, Elisa, and Sarah give her a thumbs up as she sits down. She flips them off, making them laugh, then she turns her attention back to Joe.

"You have a fun night?" Joe asks, taking a sip of his beer.

"So far, definitely, but I'm happy you decided to come," Dahlia smiles, sipping her margarita.

"Me too, it's nice to get out of the house," Joe smiles. "Hey, I had fun last night. Maybe you should sleep in my bed more often," Joe winks.

"Joe!" Dahlia laughs. "But I had fun too."

They make small talk for the next hour or so, and Dahlia keeps in mind Pete's directions from yesterday, so she breaks that touch barrier a lot throughout the night. After a while, the girls come up to the two of them and say they're going to head out. They say their goodbyes, and they each whisper "good luck" in Dahl's ear as they hug her. She flips them off again as they walk out of the club, making Joe laugh.

"What time is it, anyway?" Joe asks.

"Um," Dahlia says, fumbling for her phone. "it's around eleven."

"No wonder I'm tired," Joe says. "But, I think we should sneak in another dance before we go!"

"Couldn't agree more!" Dahl smiles, putting her drink down.

Joe does the same, then he takes Dahlia's hand in his and leads her to the dance floor. They start dancing, bumping into other people dancing around them, which only makes them laugh at one another.

As they conclude their dancing a good half hour later, Dahl grabs her purse and they walk out. Joe says he'll come back for his car in the morning, because he wants to ride with Dahl back to their place. Dahlia can't help but smile as they hop into her vehicle. She starts it, then she pulls into the road, which is still surprisingly busy at eleven thirty at night.

Joe turns the radio on to a rock station and starts jamming out, making Dahlia laugh as she's driving. She tells Joe that if they crash, it's all his fault and he can pay the hospital bill. He laughs, then turns the radio down. As they're about a few minutes from their place, Joe takes Dahl's hand in his, holding it gently as she continues to drive with he free hand. Dahl swears he heart stops for a minute, which in all reality, actually probably happened. She holds onto Joe's hand too, turning her head and giving him a smile.

As she pulls into their driveway, Joe let's go of her hand. They walk into the house, and Dahl throws her things onto the dining room table. Joe takes his jacket off and hangs it up. Dahlia kicks her shoes off, then yawns and stretches her arms.

"Long night, huh?" Joe laughs.

"You're telling me!" Dahlia says. "I'm beat."

"Me too, I'm gonna head to bed," Joe says.

"Me too," Dahlia says.

They both head up the stairs and then walks towards their rooms. Before Dahl can get into her room, though, Joe grabs her and spins her into a hug, making her laugh as she wraps her arms around his much-taller torso. Joe tells her he had fun tonight, then thanks her for inviting him out. She says it's no problem, then Joe let's go and does something Dahl didn't see coming -

Joe kissed her on her forehead, which made her heart flutter and her stomach fill with butterflies.

She gives Joe a smile, then they walk to their rooms and close their doors. Dahlia mentally screams to herself, dancing around her room like a girl in high school would do after they got their first kiss. She eventually falls asleep that night with a smile plastered on her face.


	6. HTKATISD - Chapter Six

Step Six: Keep your body language open and get ready to find a romantic moment (or create one)!

Key Points: How you carry yourself can tell him a lot about how you feel. Making your posture open makes it a lot easier to move in for a kiss and, when you do, he won't be as surprised!

**Don't fold your arms, fiddle your thumbs, or play with your shirt! If you have trouble with fidgeting, just put your hands behind your back! Cross your ankles, not your legs. Do not try to hide your nervousness when you're alone with him! Be you (because he's probably nervous too!)!

Romantic Moment!

Key Points: If you time it right, an intimate atmosphere can do half the work and help him see you in a sexy light!

**Work on being alone with him more and more! This will definitely work to your advantage when you go in for the big kiss! It's best to be alone with him in a softer lighting, so consider an evening picnic or suggest to go watch the sunset!

-Remember: he CAN'T kiss you if you DON'T stop talking!

Well, after last night, Dahl had barely slept. She was on the phone nearly the whole night with Pete, even though she's sure he fell asleep about twenty minutes into their conversation. And despite that, she kept talking anyway. She was just so happy, and hopefully by tomorrow, Joe would kiss her lips instead.

Dahlia hops out of bed and walks downstairs, finding a note from Joe left on the kitchen counter. It reads, "Hey, good morning, beautiful! I hope you slept well after our outing last night! Thanks for inviting me again, I had a fun time. Anyway, I'm with Patrick and Andy, working on new stuff. Pete made up some excuse, so he's not here. I don't know what we're going to do with him ... Anyway (again), I should be home around five or six, and once I get home, I want us to make a nice little dinner and go sit at the park on top of that hill and watch the sunset. Sound good? See you then! <3"

Dahlia smiles at the letter, feeling her heart flutter again and again. It was only around one in the afternoon, and honestly, after last night, Dahlia gave Joe major props for getting up early to go meet with the guys. She had enough trouble getting up at the time she did.

She makes her way to the fridge and starts making breakfast. It wasn't anything special, just an egg and a piece of toast. That's all her and Joe seemed to eat, but she wasn't complaining. Once she finishes eating, she cleans up, then looks at the time. It's around two now, give or take a few minutes. 

She walks to the living room, grabbing her laptop off the table and opening it. She checks her facebook, answers a few messages from her friends, checks twitter, does the same, then closes her laptop. She has at least two hours to burn before she should start getting ready. So, what better thing to do than call Pete and go over today's plans?

She grabs her cell phone from her sweatshirt pocket, then dials Pete's number. She sits back on the couch and waits for Pete to answer, which was taking longer than usual. Maybe he really did have something to do today, but Dahl wouldn't rule out the fact that Joe said it was a bullshit excuse.

"H-Hey," Pete's voice finally came through.

"Hey!" Dahlia says as she smiles. "What's up?"

"Sick," Pete says, then coughs. "Sicker than a fuckin' dog. Pissed I couldn't hang with the guys today."

"Joe left a note and did mention you not being there," Dahl says, leaving out the part where Joe said it was an excuse. "How sick?"

"Like can't-move, staying-in-bed-all-day, only-getting-up-to-run-to-the-bathroom-to-puke-my-guts-out kind of sick," Pete says, coughing again.

"Damn, maybe I should let you go," Dahl says.

"No, it's alright!" Pete replies. "I gotta tell you what to do today, anyway."

"Alright. Well, let me tell you what Joe left this morning. I walked into the kitchen and found a note from him on the counter. He said he'd be home around five or six, and he wanted us to make dinner together, then go to that park on the top of the hill and watch the sunset together," Dahlia explains, getting a jittery again.

"Aw, tha-" Pete starts to say, coughing again. "Ahg, sorry. Anyway, I was going to say that that's cute. So, when he gets home, hug him and say you missed him. When you two start making dinner, help him out, obviously, but be extra helpful. If he insists he can do most of it, still try to help. Knowing Joe, he'll roll his eyes and think you're being cute. Make sure to smile at him a lot, and don't forget about the touching," Pete explains. "When you two are on your little sunset date, if you're going to sit somewhere, make sure you have good posture. Don't, like, fidget with the bottom of your shirt or something, or your fingers. If you do that a lot, sit on your hands or something, I don't know. If you're nervous about being alone with him with no one else around, who cares. Just be nervous, because Dahl, I know Joe, and when he's alone with a girl, he gets nervous. Just be you, and he'll do the same."

"Pete, what if he tries to kiss me?" Dahl asks, suddenly realizing that that may have been the whole reason Joe asked her out tonight.

"Then I guess our little plan will be cut a day short," Pete jokes, laughing in the process, then coughing again.

"So, it's okay if he does?" she asks.

"Of course it is," Pete chuckles a little again. "Then you get to spend the whole day tomorrow telling him about our plan."

"Oh, hell no," Dahlia says. "I don't need that kind of embarrassment in my life."

"Dahl, he's gonna find out sooner or later. It'd be best to just tell him. Hey, maybe he won't even kiss you tonight! Who knows, only time will tell," Pete replies.

"Fine," Dahlia sighs, knowing that she'd eventually tell Joe sometime in the future anyway. "Anyway, so is that all for today then?"

"Um, ye-yeah, I think so," Pete says, coughing again.

"Okay, I'm going to let you go, because with all this coughing, you're going to get me sick through the fuckin' phone," Dahl says, backing away from her phone a little.

"Haha, very funny," Pete chuckles. "But yeah, I'm gonna go. Let me know what happens with Joe!"

"I will, thanks, Pete!"

"You say 'thanks Pete' one more time, I will get you sick," Pete says.

Dahlia laughs, then clicks 'end' on her phone. She sets her phone on the coffee table. She's wasted about fifteen minutes talking to Pete, so she's still got plenty of time to waste before Joe is due back home.

—————————

As four rolls around, Dahl gets up from the couch and runs back upstairs, but not before grabbing her phone. She walks into her room, grabs a band tee and some skinny jeans, then walks into her bathroom. She closes the door behind her, then plugs her phone into the stereo, blasting music louder than normal, considering she's home alone.

She soon hops into the shower, doing what needs to be done, wasting a little time in there by singing and dancing, then hops back out. She dries off, slips her skinny jeans on, throws her shirt on, then kicks her clothes into the corner. She puts her hair up, putting an elastic headband in to hold it back, then does her makeup.

As she finishes, she glances at herself in the mirror, smiles, and turns the light off. She didn't dress up today, but she knows it'll still impress Joe. She runs down the stairs, and as she's about to sit back down on the couch again, Joe walks through the door. Dahlia runs to him, closing the door behind him, then wrapping her arms around him.

"Oh, hey," Joe laughs, doing the same. "I missed you all day."

"Aw, I missed you, too," Dahl says, feeling her heart flutter.

"So, you ready to make dinner?" Joe asks.

"Of course!" Dahl smiles.

Joe laughs, then hangs his sweatshirt up. They both walk into the kitchen, then talk about what they're going to make. They decide on pasta, because it's easy, doesn't take very long, and they swear they're both going to actually start the movement "make pasta, not war."

Joe puts the water on the stove, while Dahl grabs sauce from the cabinet. She pours it into another pot, then turns the heat on. Soon enough, the water is boiling and the sauce is just heating up. Dahl pours the pasta into the pot and Joe stirs the sauce.

Soon enough, everything is ready and they make their plates and actually sit at their small dining room table for once. As they eat, they talk about everything under the sun, and Dahlia actually tells Joe that she talked to Pete earlier, saying that he was actually sick.

"I still think it's an excuse," Joe smirks.

"Joe!" Dahlia laughs, hitting Joe's knee. "No, but if you could have heard him on the phone, damn."

"Eh, he'll be okay," Joe laughs again. "Anyway, how was your day besides that?"

"Lonely," Dahl shrugs. "I'm glad you're back."

"I am, too," Joe smiles, reaching for Dahl's hand, taking it in his. "Hey, we should reenact Lady and the Tramp!"

"What are you talking about?" Dahlia laughs.

"You know that scene where they're eating pasta outside the restaurant and they both eat the same noodle?"

"Oh my god, Joe," Dahlia laughs again. It seems like she's barely eaten, because she's been laughing at Joe nearly the whole time.

Joe and Dahlia keep talking, soon finishing their meal, and Dahl's happy she avoided eating the same noodle as Joe, because that's definitely not how she pictured her first kiss with him. Joe cleans up everything and tells Dahl to go grab a few blankets from the hall closet. She does so, then meets Joe outside. He takes the blankets from her, puts them in the back, then they both get in the vehicle and take off.

By the time they arrive at the park on top of the hill, Dahlia is nearly zoned out looking at all the beautiful scenery around her. She's only been to this park a few times, and she knew going with Joe would be so much better than the other times.

Joe hops out of the vehicle and runs to the other side, opening Dahlia's door for her. He takes her hand in his once more, then grabs the blankets from the back with his other hand. He leads her down a path through the woods. There's just enough light coming through the trees for them to see where they're going, but somehow, it's also creating a romantic vibe between the two of them.

Towards the end of the trail, Dahlia sees a clearing she's never been to before. As they walk out of the woods, the view takes Dahl's breath away, and Joe has to laugh at her a little.

"Never been this way before, huh?" Joe asks, letting go of Dahl's hand and spreading the blankets out on the grass.

"No, I haven't," she says, sitting on the blankets next to Joe. "It's gorgeous!"

"I came here a couple weeks ago and found the trail. I thought it was the perfect place to bring you for a nice night," Joe smiles, looking at Dahlia, whose face is still lit up.

"Joe, thank you," she smiles again, taking Joe's hand in hers.

The two of them begin talking again, mostly continuing their conversations from dinner. Their laughs and chuckles echo throughout the woods, seeming to bounce off the trees. Joe is smiling the whole time, and truthfully, Dahlia is too. She's just overjoyed that Joe is seeming to feel the same as her, but she's still nervous he's going to kiss her tonight ...

"Hey, stand up," Joe says, already standing and reaching for Dahl's hand. She takes it, then Joe says, "Go stand over there, towards that tree."

Dahlia smiles then stands by the tree, which is overlooking the bottom of the hill. Joe tells her to pose against the tree, but with her back facing him, so it's more of a silhouette shot. Dahk smiles and turns her body, facing the bottom of the hill. She notices deer in the field and watches them, even after Joe has already taken the picture.

"Joe, come here!" Dahlia says.

"What?" Joe asks, turning his phone off after posting the picture to twitter and instagram.

"Look," she says. "There are deer, and look, there's a baby."

"Aw," Joe says, putting his arm around Dahlia's shoulder and watching the deer with her.

Soon after, the two of them return to their blankets. It's starting to get dark, but the setting sun is creating the perfect glow on the horizon. Dahlia lays her head against Joe's shoulder, then sighs, as if to say how perfect this feels to her right now.

"Hey, so can I talk to you?" Joe asks.

"Of course," Dahlia says, and the butterflies she felt in her stomach earlier begin to flutter again.

"Look, if you hadn't noticed, I really like you, Dahl. I have for a while, and once you started showing feelings towards me, I guess I saw my opportunity to act on mine, too. At least I hope that's the meaning behind the feelings you've been showing me. If not, then please, just ignore me. But, Dahl, I really, really like you. You're something really special to me, and I hope you realize that. I'm glad we've become such great friends in these past years, and honestly, I could never thank the guys enough for introducing us.

God, you should have heard about all the times I talked their ears off about you, I'm sure they wanted to slap me," Joe chuckles. "Anyway, like I said, I really like you, and truthfully, I want us to be something more than just friends, something more than just roommates. Dahl, I want us to be a couple. I think I might actually ... love you, Dahl. I don't care if that's too much right now. Dahlia," Joe says, grabbing her hands and looking at her. "I love you. I always have. I want to be your boyfriend, and I really hope the feeling is mutual here, because I'd hate to see such amazing friendship go to waste all because I can't keep my mouth closed.

Dahlia, will you please do me the honor of being my girlfriend?" he finishes.

Dahlia is pretty sure she's lost all ability to speak at this point. She so desperately wants to say yes, but she can't find her words. She sits up and wraps her arms around Joe, never wanting to let go.

Joe chuckles, "I'll take that as a yes?"

Dahl just shakes her head against Joe's, letting him know that she's said yes. She doesn't think she's ever been so happy in her life. She's finally got the man she's been crushing on for the longest time now. She doesn't know what could make this night any better.

Joe pulls her off of him, taking her hands in his again. He gives her a big smile, then lets go of her hands. That's when he leans in, closing the distance between the two of them.

Joe kisses her.


	7. HTKATISD - Chapter Seven

Step Seven: Come to terms with probably embarrassing yourself to no end when you tell your boyfriend your entire plan to kiss him.

Key Points: Don't cry, and pray to god that he doesn't break up with you ...

Dahlia awoke the next day in Joe's arms, in his bed again. All the memories from last night flooded into her head, making her smile nonstop. She was finally dating Joe, and he actually kissed her last night! She had to tell Pete!

She jumps off of Joe's bed, being careful to not disturb him too much. She grabs her phone from the nightstand, then quietly walks out of the bedroom, leaving a sleeping Joe curled up on the other side of the bed. She runs into her room and dials Pete's number, and he answers faster than he did yesterday.

"How did things go last night?!" he asks right away.

"Wow, you sound better," Dahlia chuckles.

"I think it was a twenty-four hour thing," Pete says. "Anyway, tell me!"

"Well, he took me to this really romantic spot at the park, then basically confessed his love for me, and after that, he asked me to be his girlfriend!" Dahlia explains, nearly squealing from excitement.

"Did he kiss you?" he asks.

"If I say yes, do I still have to explain the whole plan to him later?"

"You know you have to," Pete chuckles.

"God dammit," Dahl sighs. "Fine, yes, he kissed me."

"He did? Dahl, that's great!" Pete says. "I'm so happy for you, oh my god!"

"You're seeming happier than I am at the moment," Dahlia laughs. "Anyway, when's the best time to tell Joe?"

"Tell me what?" Joe's voice comes through Dahlia's room.

She turns around, seeing a sleepy Joe standing in her doorway. Smooth, Dahl, you forgot to close the door. Dahlia stands there, fear covering her face. She tells Pete she needs to go and that she'll text him later.

"Talking to Pete again?" Joe laughs. "You so have a thing for him."

"Oh yeah," Dahl says. "I've got a thing for Pete, when I'm dating you."

"Hey, man, women these days. Who am I to judge?"

"Shut up," Dahlia laughs.

"Anyway, what are you supposed to tell me...?" Joe asks, sitting on Dahl's bed.

"Oh, um," Dahlia says, trying to think of an excuse. "Well, I can't really lie to you, because with our friends, they'll tell you the whole story tomorrow ... So, I don't have a choice."

"What's up...?" Joe asks, getting a confused look on his face. "Oh, god, you don't really like me, do you?"

"No, no, no! Of course I do!" Dahlia says, grabbing Joe's hands. "No, I do, but Pete and I were up to something."

"Oh god, Pete's involved, this outta be good."

"No, so basically, I've had feelings for you in a while, and well, I was talking Pete's ear off about it one day and he sparked this plan. It was basically a plan to get you to kiss me in seven days ... More like operation, 'How To Kiss A Trohman In Seven Days.' It's stupid I know, but of course I went along with Pete's plan. Every day, he'd give me these steps to fulfil and like key points to follow through with. It was pretty elaborate, actually, I'm kinda surprised he had it in him ..." Dahlia explains, getting off-track. "Anyway, so each day, like I said, he'd give me a step to do. The first one was, like, be a master of 'accidental touching,' or something like that. I don't really remember anymore. Each day I had to do something that would make you notice me, or I had to do something to get closer to you. The plan was to obviously make you kiss by today, but it happened last night instead, not that I'm complaining, because it was perfect," she goes on. "Please, don't hate me or think I'm an idiot. I just was lost at what I could do to make to notice me."

"Dahl," Joe laughs, taking her hands in his again. "I actually think that's kind of sweet that you and Pete would go through that much trouble just so we could be together."

"Y-You do?" she asks.

"Yeah, no one's really ever noticed me like that before," Joe shrugs.

"I've noticed you for a while now," Dahlia chuckles nervously.

"I have been too, as I told you last night," Joe smiles. "Who cares about the plan, all that matters is that you and I are together here and now."

Dahlia smiles, then wraps her arms around Joe, pulling him into a tight hug. Joe laughs into her ear, then kissed her cheek. They both couldn't be happier, in all honesty, because they each finally had each other, even if it was because one of their friends couldn't keep his mouth shut ...

"So, tell me more about this kissing plan ..." Joe says.

"Joe!" Dahlia laughs, hitting his shoulder.


End file.
